PowerA Moga XP-Ultra Wireless Controller review

Choosing the right controller on your PC is not as easy because it was, however the PowerA Moga XP-Ultra wireless controller is an try to solve a really modern problem.

In those days, you may have two different gaming systems – often a pc and a console. Microsoft made it easy to repair this problem since the best xbox controllers are cross-compatible with PCs. But what a couple of pad that also works with the cloud? Your phone? Your Smart TV?

The PowerA Moga XP-Ultra Wireless Controller guarantees to be the most effective PC controller pads to rule all of them. In theory, you would start playing in your console, go out of your couch to the cloud by picking up your phone, then get into someone’s house and resume your game on a PC or perhaps a compatible smart TV.

So it is a controller built for each eventuality – something that is reflected in its modular design. The pad includes an attachable phone holder, turning the handset right into a handheld device, in addition to detachable holders, reducing the gaming surface on the move, or supplying you with the choice in the event you prefer the dimensions of old-school controllers.

Advantages

• Cross-platform versatility
• Mappable gaming buttons
• Battery level indicator

cons

• Buttons lack travel
• A little bit of an unlucky arrangement
• Slow start after waking up

Eyepiece

Here are the specifications of the Moga XP-Ultra wireless controller:

Characteristics

While the XP-Ultra is removed from the most affordable controller in the marketplace, it definitely can’t be faulted for its feature set. Chief amongst them is cross-platform compatibility (it’s “the primary licensed wireless controller for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One” in response to PowerA), allowing you to make use of Xbox, PC, Android and compatible smart TVs. For this purpose, it also features a one-month trial period for Game Pass Ultimate.

Versatility is admittedly the XP-Ultra’s calling card, as it might probably be physically configured in 4 alternative ways. First, you may mount or remove the included gaming clip, which means that you can connect your phone (for mobile cloud gaming or, in the event you’re feeling frisky, for face-to-face streaming).

You may remove the grip – the “grips” of the controller that lie in your hands – for a handling experience more just like the 16-bit controllers found on the SNES and Genesis. Either way, you may still retain the rumble features as dual rumble motors are present in each the grip section and the mini-pad.

The grip also encompasses a pair of mappable buttons, AGL and AGR, positioned on the back where they could be activated with the center or ring finger. The fundamental pad, meanwhile, encompasses a share button in addition to a battery status button – the latter with 4 LEDs so you may immediately see how much juice is left within the pad, so you may never get caught mid-game.

Design

High praise goes to the general modularity of this controller. Plenty of thought went into the design and overall the thought was good. We love the actual fact that you may shrink the pad down for a wide range of uses, especially because you don’t lose the rumble in the method.

The XP-Ultra feels satisfyingly massive without getting into Duke territory, though it definitely has more weight than a normal Xbox pad. And while a lot of the inputs are where you’d expect them to be on a Microsoft pad, the View and Menu buttons are placed abnormally high, while the Xbox button is unusually low (in reality, their relative positions are effectively swapped).

The top of the analog sticks are pleasantly deep and textured, while the tile-like D-Pad is flatter and more accurate. However, like all inputs on a controller, it has a much smaller spike – which, depending on what you press and what you play, can drastically affect things each positively and negatively (more on that below).

The phone mount gaming clip may be very sturdy, unlike a few of the cheaper and weaker accessories found on third-party controllers, and sits happily in your smartphone without worrying about anything coming loose. Of course, this top heaviness will affect your balance, but you may angle your phone to attenuate it.

Efficiency and functionality

If you wish a controller that replicates the experience of a first-party pad, this is not it. XP-Ultra does some things that we wish Microsoft’s pads could do, however it also does others that we’re glad they do not.

Being in a position to detach the grip and play with the smaller minipad seems odd at first, but it might probably turn out to be useful depending on what you are using the controller for. For example, children with smaller hands can do great with a minipad. And anyone who grew up with NES or SNES controllers will feel right at home after about half an hour. And in the event you’re someone who uses the Xbox controller rather a lot as a distant for things like Netflix, you may be glad with a flatter device that does not slip around and press buttons in your shoulder whilst you watch.

At the identical time, the Xbox controller is taken into account the very best of all time, since the ergonomics are almost perfect. So removing the handle is felt Really weird. And irrespective of how much you get used to playing without them, sooner or later (often if you miss the buzzer in NBA 2K or the headshot in Halo) you may’t help but feel that it’s because your hands microadjusted for grip not where it ought to be.

The D-Pad is amazing for some things and terrible for others. As big Tetris fans, that is our favourite controller to play Tetris Effect since it’s particularly reasonable – no random diagonal slides here. However, the dearth of pitch makes it feel too stiff for just about every thing else – and that lack of pitch is reflected within the analog sticks and face buttons, making subtle input quite different from standard pads.

The reverse arrangement of the View / Menu and Xbox buttons can also be an actual puzzle. While we’re glad there is not any giant, glowing “X” blinding us once we’re playing in the dead of night (replaced by a small, separate LED to point connection), the variety of times we clicked the Share button and took a screenshot as an alternative of going home was a little bit of an annoyance. Like lifting your thumb to go to the menu and losing precious moments while in search of it.

A minor frustration we noticed is that it takes about two seconds after the controller wakes up and connects (with a solid LED indicating a handshake) for the input to truly register. This is particularly noticeable when using apps like YouTube when the tablet has gone to sleep and you are attempting to wake it up before it plays the following video routinely!

Should you purchase the PowerA Moga XP-Ultra wireless controller?

• Yes: If you wish a controller that works across platforms
• Yes: in the event you need a wireless controller with an extended battery life
• No: The controls will not be as smooth because the official Xbox controller

We really just like the modularity offered by XP-Ultra. Playing retro games with a minipad is loads of fun, and a solid approach to mount your phone for cloud gaming (and even watching a TV show while playing something slow) is good. Battery life is great, and we love the D-Pad for some games.

For others, nevertheless, the D-Pad is a pain – and between the dearth of travel and the unnatural arrangement of the additional buttons, it is a controller that may take some time to regulate to. When they do, it’s a really powerful and versatile pad – however it’s never quite nearly as good as the primary.

If the PowerA Moga XP-Ultra wireless controller is not for you

Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller

Elite has all the time been the daddy of Xbox controllers. It’s expensive, but by way of maximum customization and the very best feel within the industry, it’s unbeatable.

Upgraded PowerA Spectra Infinity wired controller

If you may’t care less about using wireless networks, phones or smart TVs, Infinity is the most affordable pad in the marketplace – and an excellent alternative to the official Xbox version.